St. Helen’s Station (Steam)

The former station is now a private property that has been nicely transformed from it. The canopy was saved and turned into a sun lounge that runs the whole length of the platform where it was originally installed. On the Bembridge branch, there was just one intermediate stop, and that was St. Helen’s. It is equipped with a single platform that is 232 feet long and is situated on the descending side of the line.

At the station was a signal box that controlled the small branch that went down to St. Helen’s Quay in Brading Harbour. The sidings itself are some of the most intricate seen on the island along the different wharfs that are being handled. The quay operated as the principal commercial port on the island until Medina Wharf was completed in 1928. The necessity to continually refill the coal supplies that kept the island warm and kept the trains running was the primary factor that led to the construction of such a complicated series of sidings.

The historic Isle of Wight Railway sidings for both the north and the south quays have been shown on the overlay as of right now. The coal that was transported to the South Quay by Southern Railway Vessels was unloaded there so that it could be utilised on the rails. In addition, the siding that was a part of St. Helen’s section and was located at the Carpenters Brickworks may be seen here.

Between the years 1883 and 1888, a boat train was operated by the PS Carrier between this location and Langstone Harbour. However, the service was eventually discontinued since it was not profitable.

• http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/s/st.helens/index.shtml

• 1898 MAP  and Discovering an Island by David Burdett and Allan Insole. ISBN 1 898198 12 8